Realm of Souls
by Cupid's Nightmare
Summary: Angel Sanctuary xover. Oneshot, maybe? maybe not? Ryou visits Amane in Hades, realm of souls. Bakura is the only thing keeping him tied to the living world, his savior. BakuraRyou. Rated for temp. death of character.


A/N: Yeah, I don't know if it's going to be chaptered or not. It depends on what people want, I guess. You don't really need to know the Angel Sanctuary manga properly if I leave it as a one-shot.

Disclaimer: Freedom to manipulate them is quite enough, thanks.

ANGEL SANCTUARY NOTES FOR SHOT: Uriel is the earth angel and angel of judgement. Zaphikel is the Great Thrones, head of the Thrones rank and he's blind. More on him, if this gets chaptered. Hades is the realm of souls and to visit, you have to be in a state of near-death.

AMANE NOTES: Kirie (the soul of an angel) is who Uriel calls Doll in the manga but I put it so that Amane was Uriel's 'Doll' _before_ Kirie came along. Maybe he had mercy on her soul and sent her to be reincarnated in Eden or something. If it's chaptered, I can come up with something.

0o0o0o0o

"Ryooooooooou!"

Ryou winced and rolled, hoping for a few minutes of peace before…he gasped for air as something flew onto his stomach and knocked his breath out of him. He wheezed uneasily and blinked at Amane. She smiled sweetly.

"How are you, brother?"

"Fine," Ryou murmured, looking around.

Sweat and dew beaded on his bare torso, lending his pale skin an unearthly sheen. His wet hair clung to his back and forehead. He looked around. The light mist weaved through the trees. The light was barely enough to see by but his sister stood, hovering over him for a few minutes. He nodded and stood, wrapping his damp arms around her. Their contact was possible only because they were both just souls. Amane began chattering about her new body, being made by some angel called Uriel. She dragged him along, savoring every moment she had with her brother.

"I have less time today than usual," Ryou whispered. "I drowned."

Amane nodded and led him to a seat. "Lord Uriel, my brother is here. Ryou, may I introduce Lord Zaphikel, the Great Throne?"

Ryou managed a weak smile, feeling his connection to the material world severing. Zaphikel smiled widely but…he was blind. Uriel looked at Ryou blankly and shrugged. It was an awkward moment as Ryou grew slightly more solid-looking.

"Would you like some tea, Amane?" Zaphikel asked.

"Lord Zaphikel," Amane said semi-calmly, "I'm a spirit. I can't drink tea!"

"Well…why not? Try! If you do, you might succeed."

Ryou and Uriel looked at each other some more, raising their eyebrows in surprise. Then, Ryou's breathing grew labored. He felt the humid air rushing into his lungs. He was almost opaque. He couldn't stay much longer. Now, it was up to Bakura. If his yami didn't pull through, he was stuck here.

"Amane…"

Amane paused in her argument with Zaphikel and swiveled her head to look at Ryou. He was no longer barely visible in her sight. She could see him quite well. Bakura must have realized how bad it had gotten because his form began to flicker. Uriel amusedly compared it to a bad mortal broadcast on what the humans enjoyed calling television. Zaphikel sensed the waver in Ryou's aura and waved.

"Amane, I have to go." Ryou's words crackled as he became translucent again.

Amane flew forward in an attempt to hug him but barely a smoky wisp was left when her arms closed on the air. Tears, more solid than her tortured soul, dripped to the ground as she sobbed. Zaphikel stood and disappeared into the trees quietly. Uriel tilted Amane's head back as best as possible with his scythe as he couldn't touch her himself. He gestured for her to follow him. She did so almost reluctantly but obeyed him anyway.

"Let's try on your new skin, shall we, Doll?" he said coolly.

"Lord Uriel, I beg you…don't put the mask back on."

"I'm sorry, Doll. It must be done."

0o0o0o0o

Ryou sat up and coughed, water issuing from his open lips. The two bits of flesh were a fatal blue and the Briton fell back again, dizziness sweeping over him in a nauseating wave.

"Baka!" Bakura said, rubbing his shivering hikari with a soft towel. "You're lucky I agreed to this!"

"P-p-please. You-you're only d-doing this b-b-b-b-because without me y-you ha-have n-no host b-body," Ryou countered, teeth chattering.

"Ryou…" The tomb robber sighed and sat cross-legged behind the teenager to prop him up.

He didn't notice as his lap grew wet with his hikari's wet hair. He simply looked as he regained his senses properly. The spirit _had_ agreed to it because he needed a host, at first. Of course, with every host, there were certain emotional issues that needed to be dealt with. This particular one had more emotional baggage than any teenager should.

"Ryou…I'm solid now. I can kill you if I want to," Bakura said coldly, eyes glinting maliciously.

"Then why are you helping me?" Ryou struggled to sit up but his yami's hands had pinned his shoulders to his lap.

"Because, dearest hikari, we still have a bond. I feel your emotions as strongly the few that I still have. I _thought_ this would change it but apparently not. You're having more problems before. You're dying almost every week now. Shouldn't I be worried?"

"I thought you didn't worry about anything anymore. After all, you are the darkness."

"Don't use that sarcastic tone with me. It makes you sound like a child…wait!" Bakura cackled. "You _are_ a child! A brat whose father couldn't be bothered to come home for Christmas, whose father promised to stay with you for the Easter holiday and instead spent it with his girlfriend!"

Ryou struggled against his other side's grip but he was still weak from drowning. He bared his teeth in a feral snarl to match Bakura's vampiric smile and narrowed his eyes. They remained like that for a few seconds before Bakura released Ryou. The hikari ambled out of the bathroom, almost collapsing as soon as he reached his bedroom. He fell to his knees and watched his trembling hands. Everything Bakura said…all of it…it was all true.

"It's so true…I'm a brat! A spoiled brat!" Ryou started to laugh, softly at first. Soon it grew louder and hysterical. "I throw a tantrum when I don't get what I want! He was right! Always right!"

He threw his head back and kept laughing. His stomach was starting to hurt…he threw up but kept laughing through his spell of sickness, eyes squeezed shut. He was hunched forward now, clutching his stomach. There was a pool of bile before him. As he opened his eyes, he saw darkness creeping in at the edges of his line of sight. He felt buoyant and weightless now, a blissful emptiness filling his head. Before he could fall into the abyss of meaninglessness completely, he heard someone yelling his name.

Bakura leaned over his unconscious hikari. He cursed himself as he picked up the teenager. Shocked, he frowned. Ryou was too light. He wasn't exceptionally frail but his weight didn't match his figure. The teenager didn't eat much when he was out of the apartment and even if he was at home, Bakura had to goad him to swallow more than a half-bowl of rice or ramen. He stayed lean but not anorexic (like Anzu). With a sigh, Bakura tucked the blankets around Ryou, knowing that the same thing would happen next week. He smoothed back the boy's hair, remaining perched on the edge of the bed. He didn't want to move away but he didn't want to slip from his cold but caring self to his sappy, Ryou-loving alter-ego. He allowed himself to plant a small kiss on his light's soft cheek and left the room.

"Sleep well, Ryou-kun."

0o0o0o0o

A/N: Good? Bad? Nothing special? Should it remain a one-shot or become chaptered? If I continue, should I put it with other AS characters or leave it that Kirie-Doll hasn't arrived yet and so, Rosiel (insane angel who caused the crap) isn't awakened yet? Tell me your thoughts. WAIT! I just realized something: Katan was the one to awaken Rosiel…so it's Katan's fault. Ah well…I still love Katan for Rosiel-obsessed, wire-filled existence and death at Rosiel's hand. As for Rosiel…I suppose I love _him_ differently. Look up some pictures if you aren't properly familiar with the characters.

…

My mom says Katan's the only guy in the manga who looks like a _guy_. Which is a bit true but hell, I love all the characters. It's a shame they're all hot (girls included)…except Metatron and Tiara…because they're kids.

-James.


End file.
